Soumya Vishwanathan's parents make emotional appeal seeking justice for daughter

The bereaved parents of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan, who was shot dead more than 10 years ago, has knocked the door of the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for a speedy trial and justice for her. In a letter to the CM, Soumya's father wrote that he and his family were tired of the "hollow assurances" from authorities, and expressed hope from a "concrete response" from him.

Five people were arrested in 2009 on the charges of murder and are presently in custody. The trial in the case is going on in the Delhi's Saket district court from last 10 years. "Over this period, there have been changes in courts, judges and public prosecutors more than once," M K Vishwanathan, Soumya's father, writes in the letter.

"We are seriously concerned about both, the pace at which the trial is moving as well as the quality of efforts being put in the proceedings by the prosecution. Hollow assurances from authorities have tired us out and we sincerely hope for a concrete response from you at the earliest," the aged man says. He says the recent change in the "public prosecutor has raised our concerns as he, once again, was absent from the court on the date of the last hearing (Feb 2)".

He said that unlike the first prosecutor on the case, the current and the previous public prosecutors have been "unresponsive" in giving any updates to his family on the progress in the case. He said that 10 years ago -- his daughter was shot dead when she was 25 -- the police and the authorities made huge efforts in making the arrests and putting together a strong case against the accused.

"But with time as the media visibility of the case went down, so did the interest of the State in getting us justice." Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008, when she was returning home in her car from office in the wee hours.

Seeking the CM's intervention, Soumya's father said a significantly higher level of commitment from the public prosecutor, both in presence and preparedness for each hearing is required. "We urge you to help us get the best possible prosecution talent appointed to this case. In case the current prosecutor is overloaded or unable to focus on this case for any reason, please appoint a special prosecutor to help move things along.

"Request the public prosecutor to be responsive to us, in providing periodic updates on the case, since we are no longer based full time in Delhi," he said in the letter. The distressed parents said they were disheartened to see hearing-after-hearing, "a meandering sense of apathy" with which the proceedings are taking place.

"The judge has been considerate of the delay in this trial and has been kind enough to allot hearing dates at frequent intervals. But these dates continue to get wasted because of a no-show of either lawyers or witnesses or both," the letter to the CM reads. The police had in 2009 arrested Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik, Ajay Kumar and Ajay Sethi under section 302 (murder) of the IPC and under the provisions of MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act).

The five are in judicial custody since March 2009. Advocate Amit Kumar, who is representing two of the five accused in the case, said, "We all are looking for a speedy conclusion of the trial because a delay is killing everybody. It is not in the interest of everybody and society at large. Accused are in custody for almost 10 years. The judge is trying to expedite the matter and we are hopeful it will be concluded in the next six months."

The parents also wrote, "We wish you never have to go through what we have for the past ten years. While the court's verdict cannot bring our daughter back, the least we expect from our judicial system is to do what it's designed to do -- get her justice. We have stayed extremely patient and supportive of the system all this while, and sincerely hope the system would not let us down."

(With inputs from agencies.)